Dreams Only Last For A Night All Time Low
by GabbyRice
Summary: All Time Low Story, includes love triangles, death, and happy endings, Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, Zack Merrick, and Rian Dawson
1. Chapter 1

Dreams Only Last For a Night

By Gabby Reisz

_I'll be fine, even though I'm not always right_

These words, or lyrics, I should say, ran through my mind as the phone sat a few feet from me. I had been attempting to call all day with no luck. My nerves made it hard to even dial the number. What would happen if he answered? What would I say? 'Remember me'? I would sound desperate. All I really wanted was to see him again. It had been so long.

I sat for hours just staring at the phone, hoping magically he would call me. But since I knew that would never happen, I finally made progress. I inched along on my dorm room floor towards my cell phone. All my dorm sisters were partying while I was sitting around like a loser. I really hoped this would work.

I picked up the phone. Oddly enough, it felt heavier then usual. Before calling his cell, I would think he would've gotten a new phone over the years, so I dialed a different number instead. His mom answered immediately. I knew I could count on Amelia.

"Hello? Barakat residence."

"Amelia? Hi it's Grace."

"Grace? Wow it's been what? 7 years?"

"Yeah! Well I was wondering..." I mumbled.

"You probably want Jack's number."

"No... Maybe. OK yeah I guess I do." I admitted, embarrassed.

"Well I can understand. He will definitely remember you. You were the best girlfriend he ever had, definitely my favorite." I smiled. Back when I was 13 were some of the best times of my life. Amelia gave me his number and told me good luck. I thanked her and told her I missed seeing her. I said goodbye and hung up. The hardest was yet to come.

I remember the first time I saw Jack on TV. I was watching MTV (back when MTV had music on it) and a music video was premiering. It was a video with a fairly attractive lead singer and a really catchy tune. The video was set in a strip club though, it caught my attention. I watched and watched until I saw him. I could swear it was Jack. He looked exactly the same as Junior high.

To be sure, I looked up the band name (All Time Low) on the Internet. I wasn't shocked, but amazed.

**All Time Low** is an American pop punk band from Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland, formed in 2003. The band comprises lead vocalist Alex Gaskarth, guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist Zack Merrick , and drummer Rian Dawson

To see his name sent shivers through my body. It had been 7 years since I had even heard from him. Back in the days of Junior high, I would call him every night before I went to bed to tell him that I loved him. I would hug him every morning before class. I would even kiss him behind the lockers. He was the guy every adolescent girl dreams of.

We ended our 2 year love on behalf of different high schools. I remember that day. We had both been thinking about it, but he was the only one with the guts to say anything. I didn't cry that day at school, but I broke down once I was alone in my room. I look back on it now, and I think I really did love him.

Now that I had his current number, I gripped the phone tightly. I took one of the most nervous deep breaths I had taken in my 20 years. And I dialed the number.

"Hello?" I had defiantly called the right number, but it didn't sound like Jack.

"Uh is Jack there?" I asked shyly.

"Ah no he is out with Alex and Rian, may I ask who is calling?"

"This is Grace Eckridge. I'm an old friend." I fought my shy whisper willingly.

"Oh the famous Grace that I'll never hear the end of. Jack would always talk about you on the bus."

"Really?" I was somewhat shocked and flattered. I blushed at the thought of Jack remembering me.

"Oh and by the way, this is Zack, Zack Merrick."

"Um Zack? I know this sounds really weird... but where are guys at?" I tried not to sound like a stalker.

"We're in Baltimore right now, and we'll be here for about 2 weeks." it was almost perfect. Baltimore is where I called home.

"I _really_ want to see Jack again." I felt weird telling this to some guy I had never met before but Zack seemed very friendly.

"OK. I think I can help." Zack sounded quite mischievous now.

Zack had a plan. He would meet me outside their hotel while the others were off doing who knows what. We would wait there until the guys got back and surprise them. He called it, 'the rekindling romance'. I laughed at him. I had to emphasize that it was 7 years ago the last time I told Jack I loved him. While I was telling Zack all these things, I found myself tearing up. Explaining all this brought back memories, happy and sad. I just knew that I would be seeing Jack again soon, and that made my heart race.

Zack was good looking, he had an infectious smile. I would thank him until the end of time for everything that he had done for me.

It was almost time, and I thought I was going to throw up. It was surreal. Out of nowhere, Jack's phone starts ringing. Zack peeked over at the caller-id.

"Thats Alex. I should get that, and you may want to get in your hiding place." Zack smiled and winked. I blushed as I walked over to my designated spot. I heard Zack from the other room telling Alex to tell Jack that he had a surprise waiting for him. Zack leaned into the living room where I was sitting on one of the generic couches.

"You got 2 minutes." all of a sudden, my entire body tightens. My breathing got faster, and my head started pounding. "Are you alright?" Zack asked as he brought in a glass of water.

"Nervous." I said.

"I can imagine." he smiled. There was a knocking on the door. And all nerves came to a halt. Jack was on the other side of that door, confused and agitated. Zack got up and before opening the door, turned to me and gave me a thumbs-up. I smiled at him and waited.

"Open this damn door Zack!" I could hear Alex and Rian yelling from the other side.

"OK, OK." he said as he flung open the door.

"So what is this surprise that a I..." Jack said as he walked into the room, but stopped when he saw me. Shock flowed through the both of us. Suddenly, I could see our childhood memories flood into my eyes.

"Grace?"


	2. Chapter 2

I could barely remember the 3.5 seconds I was standing there like an idiot. I couldn't even blink. Then, miraculously, I was in Jack's arms. He smelt like he did when we were kids.

Embracing him was like a soap opera, except for the constant, 'Get a room!' remarks Alex was making. I almost found myself crying, but fought back the tears. He kissed my hair and kept his arms wrapped around me for several minutes, and I rested me head under his chin. Though I wanted it to never end, Jack released me to look at my face. He put his hands on the side of my face and kissed my cheek. Happiness surged through like a live wire. It was an exuberant feeling.

"Grace? What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"You're not that hard to lose Jack." I smiled. Over Jack's shoulder, I could see his 3 band mates dieing of boredom. I decided to put them out of their misery and include them.

"Thank Zack though. He was an amazing help." I said as I gestured to Zack. Jack turned around, dropping his hands, but grabbing one of mine in the process.

"Oh it's nothing." he said as he mouthed 'You owe me big time!' to Jack and we all bursted with laughter. Wow. I couldn't believe the feeling. Jack always brought the best out of me in our younger years.

"Well you guys can go clubbing without me tonight. I have some unfinished business to attend to." Jack turned to me and smiled.

"Whatever. We'll just leave you lovebirds alone." Alex, Zack and Rian laughed as they left the hotel room. Luckily, there was no tension between me and Jack. And being alone would make things even better.

"Wow Grace! It's been so long. You're even more beautiful then the last time I saw you." he said.

"Oh shut up!" I said as I punched his shoulder. This was normal behavior for me. Jack decided that we should just stay at the hotel and order room service rather than go out to a loud, expensive restaurant.

The night was amazing. We talked about everything. What we did in high school, what I did in college so far, what he did when he was on tour etc. I knew I was enjoying myself and I could see he was too. After we were done eating our gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, we just sat on the couch and talked more. It was getting later and later and I was slowly falling asleep. I remember waking up at some time early in the morning (around 2) and being in his arms. He was asleep too. Alex and the guys weren't back yet. Go figure. I cuddled my way back into his arms and slid back to sleep.

The hotel room was quite peaceful the next morning, well, except for the loud ripping snores coming from Rian. He was fast asleep on the living room floor just a few feet from me and Jack. I guess he just couldn't make it to his bed last night.

I ever so carefully got out of Jack's grasp without waking him. Before running off to raid the kitchen, I turned back to look at the most amazing person, who just fell back into my life. Tears were welling up, I could tell. I wiped them away and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead and skipped off to the kitchen quietly. I had only had enough time to get a glass of water before Zack was standing in the doorway.

"Hey." I said quietly.

"Hey yourself." he said back.

"Did I ever thank you for 'rekindling the romance'?" he could never even begin to understand how grateful I was to him. He put Jack back in my life. He laughed and pulled me into a hug.

Jack woke up a little while later, but Alex and Rian were still sleeping when we left. Jack, Zack and I went to get lunch at a little place in downtown Baltimore. It was nice, but I could feel Zack not enjoying it as much as me and Jack. Which is probably why he went on with the awkward questions.

"So are you guys, like, a 'thing' now?" he smiled. I didn't want to say anything, so I took some French fries and looked at my hands. I was going to let Jack answer this one.

"Well," he turned to me, his eyes truly wondering, "Are we?" the look on his face made cheeks pinch together and my smile was sweet and sincere. I hopped off the chair and skipped to his side. I stood up on my tippy toes to give him the sweetest of all kisses. He kissed me back, with a passion I had never felt. I wound my hands in to his brown and blond streaked hair, and his were in mine.

I pulled myself away, only to quickly kiss him lightly once more. I skipped back to my seat, and turned to Zack.

"Does that answer your question?" I giggled and grabbed my soda. So me and Jack are a 'thing' now? My heart fluttered at the thought.

Zack didn't say anything, he didn't even laugh. Though it bothered me, I tried not to worry about it.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'll see you in a minute. OK?" Jack said as he stroked my cheek. He was dropping me off at me dorm to clean myself and put on fresh clothing.

"I'll only be an hour, you won't have time to miss me." I swiftly put my lips to his and headed off to my room. I was almost to my building when I turned around to see Jack watching me go. I couldn't hide my smile. He was amazing.

My dorm sisters had all left for summer. But since my parents were having trouble with multiple things, I decided to stay out of their hair. The girls also needed someone to take care of the building, and that girl was me.

All I needed was a quick shower and some clean clothes. That would take way less then an hour, but I needed time to think about things. Was I going too fast with Jack? Was I falling again? What was up with Zack earlier? How are things with Rian and his girlfriend? Why is Alex so attractive?

I shook my head to scratch that thought, I didn't want to see Alex that way.

I drove myself back to their hotel, Jack was already waiting outside. He led me upstairs to the room, which had loud abrupt noises coming from inside. Jack opened the door and I was flooded with relief. The guys were playing Xbox. Halo to be exact. They were getting extremely in to it, hence the shouting and cursing.

"Sorry about that." Jack apologized, "Guys, say hi to Grace, please."

Without looking away, in synchronization, they harmoniously said, "Hi Grace."

"Hi to you too. I guess."

"Want to play?" asked Jack. This got the boys' attention. Still in synchronization, they turned to look at Jack, horrid looks scribbled on their faces.

"What?!" they all said. Jack seemed confused.

"Dude, guy code? Do you remember? We made it Junior year." Rian explained.

"Page 4, section C." Zack continued.

"It states, that when enjoying Halo against any level higher than a Gunnery Sargent..." Alex added.

"That no person of the female variety can join the party, Yeah Yeah I know." Jack mimicked, remembering his oath to his friends back in high school. "But guys, that was like, forever ago, who cares."

"We do." the guys said angrily.

"Guys! Just let her play!" Jack shouted. They all started bickering about the 'guy code'. I couldn't help but wonder...

"Guys?" I said, but no one heard.

"_Guys_!" I yelled as loud as I could. They finally shut up and looked at me with surprise, "Sorry, it's just, do I get any say in this?"

"Oh..." Jack began.

"No, I don't want to play." I said.

"OK, well, we can go hang out."

"I would much rather hang out than play with these idiots." I said as I turned to the other room. Jack followed me in and shut the door behind him. The large bed in the middle of the room was quite intimidating to me, but when he just sat down, and patted the seat next to him, my fear soothed.

I sat in his lap instead. He played with my hair as I thought and put the right words together. I had to word this right or I could eventually ruin things with Jack.

"So, what are you thinking? You know, about us?" I couldn't think of anything else.

"I'm thinking... that you're really sexy right now." he laughed.

"Jack! I'm serious!" I crossed my arms in frustration.

"I think I missed you more then you can imagine." and then he kissed me. Jack made me feel like I was floating on a cloud. He made me feel like I was a princess.

I pulled away and I buried my face in his chest. I could stay there forever. We ended up falling asleep there. Sleeping with him next to me, made me feel lucky, yet vulnerable. What if he realized that I don't deserve him? I pushed the thought from my mind and slept peacefully.

I woke up that morning still in Jack's arms. He was awake and waiting for me. He rubbed my arms and kissed my shoulder sweetly.

"Good morning." he said like a gentleman.

"Good morning to you too." I said as wrapped my arms around him.

"So heres the deal." Uh-oh, "We have a concert tonight at the old theater. But... I have to be gone all day." Jack told me about a friend who was having trouble with things and how he was spending the day with him to help. It made me realize that theres more to Jack than his crazy side.

"Sorry about all that. But if you can hang with the guys if you want."

"Oh thats fine. I need to get to know your best friends to learn more about you. I'll be fine, we could play some Halo." confusion crossed his face.

"I thought you didn't like Halo?"

"Are you serious? This is a Brigadier you're talking to! I love Halo!"

"Holy shit, Grace!"

"I could've kicked their asses last night, but I think I can do it today." he smiled and finally lifted himself off the bed. He extended his hand and I took it as he lead me into the front room. Amazingly enough, Alex, Zack, and Rian were passed out on the couch exactly where we left them. We laughed and went downstairs for breakfast.


	4. Chapter 4

"Shut it ass-face!" Alex roared.

"Who you calling ass-face?!" Zack countered.

"Would you guys just shut the hell up and play!" Rian screeched.

Wow. So this is why Jack apologized yesterday. The guys really do get into it.

"Can I play?"

"Didn't we go over this yesterday?" Zack complained.

"Please?" I went into best-friend's-girlfriend mode, "Pretty please with a 'I wont tell Jack to beat your ass for me' on top?" they all looked at me in shock. I laughed to myself. Ha, they think I'm a good girl.

"Sure."

"Go ahead."

"Be our guest."

"OK. Thank you very much." I squeezed myself in the middle in between Alex and Rian. Time to show off a little.

We played a couple of times in forge, where I tried to hide my skill. They all laughed each time they killed me, but I knew they wouldn't be laughing soon. Once we connected to LIVE, I finally decided break loose.

We played one game. That was all it took.

I got 35 kills, while they each got 5. once the game was over. They all looked at me, wide eyed and astonished. I pulled myself off the couch, and turned to them. I made my little fake gun and whipped it out, shot once, and blew away the smoke. That'll show them.

I heard them whispering things like 'That was amazing!' or 'Holy damn, that was hot.' as I walked away. It felt good to kick ass.

"I'm going downstairs, anybody need anything?" I yelled over my shoulder as I walked out. Faintly, I heard one of the guys say, 'A chick like that'. Was I flirting with Jack's friends?

After returning back upstairs, realized a difference. A difference like Alex was the only one there. He was just sitting there, with a wine glass in hand and feet up on the coffee table. Not a care in the world.

"Hello dahling." Alex said in a fake British accent, I couldn't help but smile, "The guys are all out getting the ladies."

"Then why aren't you with them?" I asked honestly confused.

"Eh, I thought I'd get to know my best friend's girlfriend."

"Oh, OK. What do you want to know?"

Alex wanted to know everything. Everything from whether or not I had herpes, which obviously, is a no, to if I preferred dogs over cats.

"Do you watch a lot of TV?" he asked.

"Only a couple of comedies. I'm not much of a Grey's Anatomy person." we both laughed, but I realized he was being a little friendly. I started be a little more aware.

"So what did you think of me when you first saw me?" he asked. I was afraid of my answer.

"Saw you, or watched you? 'Cuz I saw your guys' music video on MTV."

"OK well, when you saw the music video."

"Well..." I drifted.

"Tell me!" he giggled.

"OK OK, I thought..."

"Grace!"

"I thought you were really hot, OK?" I was starting to get a little shaken. I didn't want him to know that.

"Oh."

Alex didn't ask questions for the rest of the afternoon. But he did sit _right_ next to me and almost put his arm around me. I was starting to get nervous about what he thought about me.

"What did you think about me? When you first walked in and I ran to Jack?" it was his turn to answer the awkward question.

"You don't want to know."

"Seriously Alex I told you, now you have to tell me."

"I shouldn't." he replied.

"C'mon tell me!" I urged, "please, please, please..." I went on.

"OK! I was thinking..."

"Yes?"

He didn't even finish his sentence, when he leaned in and kissed me. My mind was completely gone. For a second, only a second, I was kissing him back. But I finally got my brain back and pushed him away.

"Alex, what the hell!?" I shrieked.

"I told you, you didn't want to know."

I felt gross, doubled by that fact that I was disgusted with myself for kissing him back. How could I? I couldn't stand the feeling of the room.

"I have to go." I said as I leaped up off the couch. I grabbed my sweater and before I was out the door, Alex was right behind me.

"Grace..."

"What Alex?"

"Don't tell Jack." he said quietly.

"Wasn't exactly planning on it." I said with slight acid in my words, "I was actually trying to forget about it myself." I turned and walked away, without one last word. I had to get out of there.

Once I was out of the shower, I checked my phone. Jack called, probably about the concert.

"Hello? Grace?" Jack said on the other line.

"Hey, I see you called."

"Yeah, the concert is going to start soon, so I was about to go get you. That is, if you still want to go."

"Of course I want to go! I'm all ready! Come get me."


	5. Chapter 5

It took me a while to figure out what to wear, I didn't know if I wanted to go with sexy or cute. Tonight was important. I decided to wear my black denim skinny jeans, my long, low cut, green flower shirt with my black flats.

Time flew by and once I peeked over at the clock, I was already late. I put on the last touches and grabbed my sweater and skipped out the door. I was locking the building door when footsteps were creeping up on me. I flipped around with my key extended, only to sigh in embarrassment. It was Jack. I pushed at his chest.

"Don't do that! You scared me!"

"Oh Grace, I'm sorry." he pulled my still extended arms and wrapped them around him. He stroked my hair, comforting me.

He finally let me go and took my hand. He had his old BMW parked by the sidewalk. We drove over to a small music joint where all bands, local and quite famous, showed off their stuff. Jack led me to the back, where I would be staying a portion of the concert. Alex and the guys were already back their doing a sound check. It was crazy backstage. Everyone was running around fixing, fixing and re-fixing. I quickly got myself out of the way of their business and found myself in the green room in the back.

I was sitting in the director's chair with the title 'Big Jack' on the back. Looking at myself in the round mirror, I wondered how I got here. I looked myself up and down, obviously picking out my flaws. I was quite petite, with lightly tanned skin. I was a natural brunette and my hair had now reached my mid-waist. Compared to Jack, I was just a piece of furniture. I started breathing heavily, but stopped myself and took another long deep breath.

Out of nowhere, one of the stage managers appeared in the doorway. She was a small blond woman who immediately ordered me to get on stage. My mind blanked. Why would I be needed on stage? Without thinking, I hopped up off the 'Big Jack' chair and walked back into the chaos. The small blond lead me to the right side of the stage. I could see Alex, Zack, Rian and of course, Jack. I could tell they were having fun.

They were just finishing a song when Jack looked over at me. He smiled and gestured me to come on stage. A Mic was put in my hands and suddenly I was being pushed to center stage. The lights were bright, the screams were piercing, and my stomach was already doing flips. Jack pulled me to his side, and automatically wrapped his arms around me.

"Everyone!" Jack said into his Mic. The crowd was still crazy but lightly calmed to hear him, "I would like you to meet someone." he looked down at me and touched his forehead to mine. The crowd was a chorus of amused 'awes'. I looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back as he leaned down to kiss me. Zack was right, this romance was rekindling.

"Hi." was all I could choke out into the Mic, "I'm Grace." then Jack kissed me again, this time, with more passion, I could tell he was falling too.

"Grace? What song should we play next?" he said as he met my delighted gaze. I could barely think, I could barley _hear_ myself think. But I already knew my favorite.

"Stay Awake." the crowd went crazy. Apparently I wasn't the only fan of the song.

Jack quickly switched off his Mic, "Can you sing Grace?"

"I have no idea. All I ever did was choir." something didn't sound right.

"Well I know you love this song, so go up there with Alex and and sing your heart out." before I could protest, he was kissing me again. He took my face in his soft hands and looked me directly in the eye, "For me?" how could I resist his eyes?

"OK." I said nervously. I didn't have any problem with the song, I knew every lyric, but I had no idea what my voice was like. I was afraid of screwing up in front of everyone. All of Jack's fans.

I shook off my nerves as I met Alex a the front of the stage. He looked at me and smiled, wrapping his arm around me, in the big-brother kind of way. I tried to lean away considering the kiss we shared earlier.

My nerves got the best of me in the first verse. My voice couldn't have been heard. But by the time the chorus came around, magically, confidence surged through me. I belted out the lyrics and hit them flawlessly.

By the time the song was coming to an end, and the slow part of the song came along, it was getting kind of steamy between me and Alex. Nothing too serious, I could never do that right after Jack announcing me to his fans. But me and Alex had some kind of connection. We both hit the last note perfectly, but I realized he was gazing at me. It felt really weird, so to end the weird-ness, I ran back into Jack's arms. I felt safe with him.

I pretty much avoided Alex the rest of the night. The boys decided not to have an after party, so we just headed back to the hotel. They all took their showers as I watched some TV. Zack was the first one out, so he sat with me as we watched old cartoons. I was feeling pretty drowsy after a little while. I ended up with my head leaned against his shoulder, but, since Zack is an awesome guy, he woke me up before Jack was out of the shower.

That night was quite similar to the ones before it. But it was a little uncomfortable for me. It was weird being around Alex, I just felt an odd tension, but I wasn't sure if it was good, or bad. So I waited until Jack was asleep and it was around midnight. I decided to get away from it all and just sit by the hotel's pool and breathe.

I took one last whiff of Jack and kissed his sleeping face. I silently slid out of his security-like grasp and tip-toed out of the room. I grabbed the key card Jack gave to me just in case and as quietly as possible, shut the door on my way out.

The air was crisp as it whipped at my ankles. I shivered and shrugged on my sweater. When I got down to the pool, it said that it closed at 10, but oddly enough, the gates were wide open. I went over to the hot tub and slid my feet in the mildly worm water. It felt hot considering the air outside was extremely cold. I sat there and thought about the last week and a half.

Being reunited with my ex, going to a concert, meeting and flirting with his best friends/band mates and so on. It was a crazy week.

All of a sudden, I heard footsteps coming closer. I didn't think it was Jack this time, but before doing something stupid, I quickly turned, and sighed.

It was Zack.

What was he doing here?

"Zack?"

"What are you doing out here, Grace? It's freezing!"

"The hot tub is warm." I added. He laughed quietly and walked over to sit next to me.

"So what brought you here, on this cold night?" he asked with I smile breaking his straight face.

"I don't know, I have a lot on my mind." I sighed.

"Well tell big, bad Zack!" I quietly giggled but kept my eyes on my hands.

"All this crazy shit is happening so fast." I whispered.

"Well at least you have Me, Jack, Alex and Rian to help." he smiled. I couldn't help but look up at him. He seemed to be slightly nervous. I leaned over and gave him a one and a half armed hug. But, when pulling away, I stopped. Our faces were close, too close. He was looking at me funny, and it made me feel funny too. He lightly, and quickly, kissed my cheek. My face tingled and my entire body shivered, and not from the 30 degree air outside.

But before anything else happened, I brought myself back to reality and scooted away from Zack. I was being a terrible person.

"I should get back upstairs." I said awkwardly.

"Yeah, I should too."

Once I was back upstairs, I crawled back into Jack's arms. But I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about Alex and Zack. I even felt myself having small feelings for both of them. I felt like a little whore. And the only reason I wasn't lusting after Rian was because he had a serious girlfriend. I was just horrible.

Who knows why, but I got up at 6 'o clock the next morning. I quickly took a shower and threw on my clothes I brought. I walked downstairs to grab a snack, but when I got back, I received a phone call.

"Hello?" I said.

"Grace?" my dad said, with a worried tone. Something wasn't right.

"Yeah dad. Whats up?" there was a short pause before he answered.

"Grace, mom died last night."


	6. Chapter 6

Without warning, my tears were already pouring out. My dad explained her fatal heart attack to me, but I could barely hear. My mind was jumbled with all the memories of my amazing mother. Unfortunately, my dad was already flying off to Maine to see my grandparents.

I felt like I just lost everything. My mom knew everything about me, she always did. I loved her more than I had anyone else, she was my best friend. I couldn't help but cry, it was all I could do. The pain was numbing my entire body, forcing me to stay put. I knew there was no bringing her back with my sobs, but I cried anyways. I needed it.

Now all I needed was someone else. Someone to tell me that everything was going to be fine, that even though she was amazing, I was going to be OK.

"Grace! Whats wrong?" I didn't even have to look to know it was Alex. My tears were still freshly flowing when he sat down and wrapped himself around me. I needed someone, so I automatically wrapped my arms around him too and buried my face in his chest.

"What happened?" he asked with fear that I was hurt or something in his voice. I knew if I even said anything, he wouldn't be able to understand through the tears. He waited and still held me close. I was beginning to calm down, so I finally said something.

"It's iii-it's," I stuttered, "my mom." another sob broke loose. He already knew what I meant.

"Oh Grace I'm so sorry." he said with utter and complete sincerity. I felt warm sitting with him, "Everything is going to be OK, Grace. We all care about you, we'll get you through this." he said, stroking my cheek.

Once my sobbing slowed down a bit, I finally forced myself off the couch and away from Alex. This didn't stop him. Once my body was stable, he got up and immediately re-wrapped himself around me. I was in pain, so I went with it. He was the only there for me at the moment.

I unwrapped myself from his grasp and decided to go find Jack. He was who I needed. But when I walked into the room, Jack wasn't there. I felt another surge of pain hit me right in the stomach. I needed him but he wasn't there.

"Where's Jack?" I said with fresh tears rolling down my face.

"Downstairs, why?" Alex said with concern. I didn't answer, I was going to go get him.

"Where is he?" I asked again.

"Food court, what is going on?" I rushed out of the hotel room as fast as possible without a word. I hurried down to the food court as fast as I could to get to Jack. Once I was on the main floor, I saw the sign for the food court and ran in that direction.

I turned the last corner. And there he was.... sitting with another girl. I felt doubly broken inside. I felt as though I was going to just turn into Jell-o and fall down right at that second.

"Grace?" I heard someone ask from a far. I turned to see Zack, confused and out of breathe. He must of followed me down here. Without looking back at Jack and mystery girl, I sprinted to Zack.

I jumped into his arms and started the emotions all over again. I had just lost the most important person in my life, and now Jack is blowing me off. I wanted to leave, now. Leave for good. But being with Zack made things slightly better.

"Alex told me what happened, are you OK Grace?"

I nodded, 'no' into his shoulder and he pulled me closer. I was far from OK, I was devastated.


	7. Chapter 7

Even though I was in shorts and flip-flops, I decided to run. I ran as far as my feet would take me, out the hotel, onto the sidewalk, all the way to downtown Baltimore. Luckily, there weren't that many people walking around to see me partially dressed with tears still streaming down my face.

I tried not to think. If I started thinking, I would think about Jack, or Alex and Zack. Then the pain would only be worse. I had been walking for about an hour when I stopped at the local coffee shop.

The place was warm inside, and it made me feel better about wearing shorts while walking around Baltimore. I sat at the counter and looked around. There were only three people in the shop, and none of them were showing any attention to me.

"Can I get you anything?" the women asked from behind the counter.

I turned to her and said, "Can you get me a glass of water?"

The women gasped. "Sweetie, are you alright?" she must have noticed my puffy face that was still wet with tears.

"Problems." was the only thing I could think of. The women walked back into another room and immediately came out with my water.

"I'm a good listener."

Though I didn't know the women, I told her everything. She was right, she was a remarkable listener. She made me open up and spill everything that had happened.

"And you're sure that this, Alex, and this, Zack, like you back?" she asked.

"Positive. Alex kissed me."

"And Zack?"

"No, but we had a... moment." my mind flashed to the night by the hot tub.

"But what about Jack?" she asked, truly interested.

"When I saw him with that girl, I just, I couldn't handle it. It could've been something, it was most likely nothing. But after hearing about my mom, I just..." I trailed off. The pain of opening up hit me hard. The wound of losing my mother was still fresh and stung like a bee.

"What do I do?" I asked desperately.

The women thought for a moment. "Sweetie, advice is what we ask for when we know the answer, but wish we didn't."

Her words took me off guard. What if she was right? Who, deep down in my gut, did I truly belong with? Somewhere inside of me, I knew the answer.

"Thank you." I said. She had turned over a new leaf in my bucket full of problems.

All I could do at this point was walk back to the hotel. My dorm was too far away to walk, and all I had was the room key. It didn't take that long to get back, but getting into the hotel was hard enough. I was afraid. Afraid to see Alex, Zack, and Jack especially.

I took my time getting to the room, I needed to think of something.

I finally swung open the door to the room. But it was silent. The kitchen was empty, same with the living room. But when I walked into the bedroom, I was happily surprised.

Rian was sitting, all by himself, most likely waiting for me.

"Grace!" he shrieked, jumping up and hugging me like a bear, "Where have you been? You scared us to death!" I hadn't realized that I was crying again. It must had been that I never _stopped_ crying.

"I was soul-searching," I said as he released me, "where are the guys?"

"They are out looking for you. They have been ever since you left."

"I'm guessing Alex told you what happened." I said condescendingly.

"Yeah, Grace I'm so sorry about that." he said as he pulled me into another bear hug.

"Rian? I have a problem." I said.

"Yes?" he asked, confused and possibly terrified.

"I think I'm falling for Alex and Zack too." I said, my voice feeble and pained.

"Uh-oh." was all he could say.

"But the lady said this quote from a 1940s feminist and..." I babbled. I started mumbling things, and just exploded with a sob, "I can''t do this anymore!" I cried.

I was sobbing and most likely ruining Rian's shirt when the door flew open. I only glimpsed in that direction and saw three figures in the doorway. Acting on instinct, I ran to the bedroom, pulled Rian along with me, and locked the door behind me.

"What are you doing?" Rian asked, stunned.

"I'm not ready to talk to them, and I don't want to be alone." I whispered, still sobbing.

"Grace... does Jack know?" before I could answer, loud, angry noises were coming from the other side of the door.

I buried my face in my hands. What had I done now?

"I think he does now." I whispered into my hands. Anxiety was beginning to weaken and destroy my body. The tears came harder, and faster.

"Are they fighting, Rian? Rian?" but Rian wasn't there. I was alone. Again. I guessed he had gone out into the living room to straighten things out.

Faintly, I could here things like, 'I was with her first' and 'She cares about me more'. Rian's voice, was very distinct though.

"There is a girl in there who just lost her mother! Now will you guys shut the hell up and grow up a little!?" Rian's voice seemed to work as he yelled at his friends. They were silent immediately, "Now would you please not kill each other for just a second?" Rian reappeared in the room and looked at me with sincere eyes.

"Are you ready to talk to them, Grace?" I hadn't thought about it, but I was pretty sure I wasn't.

"Rian? Can you take me to my dorm?" Rian seemed confused, but agreed anyways.

"OK guys, she is not ready to talk so I am taking her home. If you could please not kill each other when I am gone, it would be much appreciated." Rian said as he walked me out the door. I stared at my feet the entire time, seeing as making eye contact with any of them would make me want to shrivel up into nothing. Too late.


	8. Chapter 8

All I could do was sleep on it. I was completely exhausted from running around Baltimore, so I got to my dorm, took the nicest shower I had ever endured, and just threw myself on my bed. I was out of it within 5 minutes.

I dreamed about the decision I was forced to make. I had to choose between three guys, all amazing in there own way. I dreamt about how each scenario would work out in the end.

Alex, other than being completely gorgeous, was somewhat of a romantic. But I imagined myself just oogling at him, rather then having an actual relationship with him. Alex was also a _physical_ person, while I'm more of an _emotional_ person. Those separate traits would clash very, very quickly.

Zack. The new friend. He was super nice and friendly, but was that all we could be? Friends? Zack had a heart, and that made him stand out but I hadn't seen that connection between us quite yet.

And lastly, the ex boyfriend, Jack. Jack always had my benefit in mind, and I felt safe with him. But how was I supposed to trust him when he and his friends go out every night? And after the incident in the food court, I had no idea how things would work out.

These thoughts made sleeping a much harder thing to do. I tossed and turned all night and writhed in the pain of my recent family tragedy. After the guys came and went, my mother and father entered my sleeping mind. My dad must've been destroyed when he woke up that morning, I know I would've been. At least I knew we were laying her to rest tomorrow.

I slipped on my black satin dress that stopped right below the knee. It was 7:45 and I was preparing for my loving mother's funeral. After slipping on my black heels and applying water proof makeup, I slipped on my black overcoat and went to my car. The funeral was being held at a local funeral home in town and it was just a couple blocks away.

The service was beautiful. My entire family was there to lay my mother to rest. The only time I cried was when I saw her in her casket. She was beautiful. She looked sad, yet peaceful. I said my prayers to her and sat down. Thats when the tears began to fall.

I stayed around to talk and grieve with family members from all over the east coast. But I spent most of my time with my father, who shed the first tear I had seen in over 11 years.

I was worn out from the funeral when I came upon the surprise on the front porch of my building. Four beautiful sets of flowers the size of bushes blocked my entry to the dorms. Confused and tired, I checked the notes to see who they were for. After quickly seeing who they were from, I smiled in delight. Alex, Jack, Rian and Zack all sent me their own set of flowers.

_Grace,_

_I'm sorry. Sorry for everything. That I kissed you, for your mother, all those stupid things that I said, and I'm especially sorry that I fell in love with you. I wish I could've taken back everything that I did to hurt you. I send my blessings to your family, and I am glad I got to spend these times with you._

_Love,_

_Alex_

_Dear Grace,_

_You can't imagine how sorry I am for your loss. She was lucky to have a daughter like you. Grace, I know how I feel about you, so if it's not me who you want when it all comes to an end, all I ask is for you to remember me. Because I will always remember you. _

_Love,_

_Zack_

_Dear Grace,_

_Wow. I was going through life, thinking I was living the dream. But then you came back. I never wanted that night to end. Grace, losing your mother is a tragedy, and I am terribly sorry for that. She must've been smart to raise a girl like you into what you are today. I may not have had the chance to see her recently, but I remember our first date when your mom ran in and took pictures of us. She was such a lively and happy person, and I am sorry she is gone. I am glad I got to love you yet another time Grace._

_Love,_

_Jack_

_Dearest Grace,_

_I'm sorry for some of the events that have happened in the last 2 days. I never got to meet your mother, but the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree, and considering how amazing you turned out to be, I can assume. I may not be writing I cheesy love letter like I know the other guys are, but that doesn't mean I don't care about. Thank you, Grace. Thank you for deciding to bring happiness to one of my friends, for enlightening us with your presence and, lastly, thanks for kicking my ass at Halo. And again, I am sorry for your loss._

_Sincerely,_

_Rian _

After reading all the notes, I had burst into tears again. I had four amazing guys, three of which, I could so possibly be in love with, who cared about me much more than I deserved. I couldn't stand this. It would have been hard enough to break one, but I have two hearts to break. But I still had no idea which two.

After thinking about it for hours on end, I finally decided to call Rian.

"Grace?" he asked nervously.

"Hey Rian. I think I know what to do."

"Do you need me to come get you?"

"Yeah, I'll be waiting outside my dorm." I said as I hung up.

I sat there waiting, knowing that I had a small amount of time until I had to break some hearts. But now I had a plan to help me make the right decision. Rian's red Audi stopped right in front of my building, so I jumped up and walked to the shiny red car. That walk seemed to take forever. Each step was slower than the first, and soon my head was spinning. I took a second to calm my mind and get myself stable.

I climbed into Rian's car and flinched at the coolness of the leather seats. This car was very lavish, yet the inside was so small. I looked over at Rian with worried eyes. He seemed rather glad to see me.

"Thanks for the flowers." I whispered.

"Oh those? Yeah, me and the guys thought that would cheer you up." he said, trying to keep things casual.

"It was very nice of you, and I appreciate it."

He let a couple of moments pass by before asking the important question, "So what's your plan?" he asked with slight fear in his tone.

I explained to him my plan on how to choose the guy I would stay with, and he listened with open ears. Rian agreed that my plan was how it was going to go and it would most certainly play out in the long run. He also agreed to help me out.

Rian stopped the car in front of the hotel, and got out. I got out too and began walking around to the other side.

"Rian, you are truly amazing." I said as I gave him a hug.

"Stop it!" he joked. We both laughed, but mine was much more nervous than his was. At least we wouldn't hate me at the end of this. Rian was becoming somewhat of the big brother I always wished I had. He hugged me tightly and closely for the last time, and headed off to the hotel to do his duty. I stood there dumbfound still thinking of what to do. Three amazing guys and one me. I wish I could have them all, but there was obviously no hope in that.

I finally found the power to move myself. I walked to the other side of the car, looked over at the hotel, let out an exasperated sigh, and squeezed into the car.


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N, Don't read ahead, you will hate yourself xD you don't find out until the very end, so just read NORMALLY(= )**

My plan was simple. A heartfelt game of hide-and-seek. I would find a place in Baltimore that was important in some sentimental way. The guy that knew me well enough, would find me first, and that was how my decision would be made. It all felt so childish to me, but it was the only plan I could come up with.

I just hoped that I wouldn't ruin their friendships in the end. But it wasn't exactly my decision, it was theres.

I hadn't quite chosen my 'hiding spot' yet, but I had a few in mind. The green room at the music place when I went to the All Time Low concert, the place where my mother was to be buried, or the soul-searching coffee shop. Those were only a few of my ideas. I had lived in Baltimore my entire life, the city was covered in memories.

I got it.

The idea hit me with a blast of oblivion. I had spent so much time talking about this place when I was hanging with all three guys. This was perfect.

I lifted myself up onto the wooden fencing and climbed over. I found myself flabbergasted by the memories that had been spent here. Laughter and all around happiness was buzzing in my enlightened ears. This place was quite big, so I needed a place that meant something deep to me. And I knew exactly where to go. I sat myself down on the metal rail and shivered at how cold it was against my skin.

I sat there contemplating the flaws of my 'brilliant' idea. Baltimore was _huge_. Even if they knew where I was, it would take them a while to get through traffic and such. I dreadfully realized that I would be here for a couple of long hours.

I saw children, mothers, the occasional teenager even passed by. This place was large and a hub for people, but I knew the guys would figure it out sooner or later. This was my home as a kid, not literally, but when I needed a place that was very loud and chaotic, that I could find inner peace, I came here.

I fought as hard as I could not to fall asleep, because if I did, bad things could happen. My mind was slowly drifting when my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Rian asking how I was doing. He also mentioned that the guys had taken the challenge willingly, but they didn't exchange the fondest of words. I tremendously had ruined a band/friendship/bond. My stomach lurched in pain.

It had been about 2 and a half hours since my placement, and no sign of the three musketeers. Rian's number popped up on my phone again, and I answered it with confusion.

"Rian? Whats up?"

"Hey, uh, need any company?" Rian asked, slightly embarrassed.

"Hell yes I would! I love this place but it's so boring!" I said enthusiastically.

Rian was on his way when it happened.

The noise was piercing and distinctive. I automatically defined it as a gunshot. The shot set off screams and terror everywhere, and cries of fear in everyone. Instead of running, my first instinct was to hide. I slid under the metal roofing and froze. The screams were still roaring, but I was sure it was too late to run. I was too scared to cry, or to even move.

Sirens were screaming in my bloodshot ears, and the chaos hadn't let up one bit. I finally gained up enough energy to peak up from under my hiding place.

Thats where I saw him. He had to be about 6'4" and he was built like a football player. This man, all dressed in black, was the holder of the gun. He was just standing there, doing nothing. I was starting to worry, he was only 20 feet from me.

By now the chaos has calmed because half the people were safely away from the situation. But since I was trapped, I was stuck there until the tall man did something. Police hadn't exactly done anything yet.

Another disturbing noise lit up the area. The second gunshot shocked the nearby people, and shook me deeply. I was blank, and there was no sign of improvement.

My entire life didn't necessarily fly through my eyes, just the best moments. My first kiss, my senior prom, almost everything involving my mother and more. But the most vivid and joyful thoughts were those of the last few days.

Suddenly, I was abruptly awakened. I wasn't alone. Two hands appeared out of nowhere and gripped me tightly, one on my shoulder and the other concealing my screams.

"Grace, come with me and please don't scream." the person whispered. My entire body was distraught with fear, but I nodded anyways. I could fee the tears welling up and boiling over. Without letting me get a glimpse of who the person was, they turned me around and slowly led me out. They finally released my mouth, but not my shoulder.

Escaping the hiding spot took some skill, and silence. We had no idea what the gunman was doing, but we couldn't have him aware of our presence. Mine, and the stranger's life depended on it. We climbed and climbed on through the maze, and I was still unknowing of who was saving my life.

Once we were out of the maze, there was one last problem. The large opening that put us between death and safety stopped me in my tracks.

"Run, Grace, run." the person whispered in my ear. Without out even looking back, I jolted. I never knew I had this kind of energy inside of me, but I harnessed it and used it to get me out of this danger.

There was only 15 feet in front of me until the wooden barrier ended, but I was starting to get tired. I pushed and pushed myself until I finally jumped over. I hit the ground with a thud. My body was completely unmoving due to the anxiety. But all I knew was, I wasn't in line of fire anymore.

But where was the person who saved my ass? I frantically looked everywhere around me, but there wasn't anyone there. I forced my legs to work, and lifted myself off the ground. Though my knees were still shaking, I stood and attempted to stable myself. I peered over the wooden fence to find my stranger.

Arms came from behind me and spun me around. I was pleasantly greeted by my stranger as he pulled me into a tight hug. I kept my face against his chest and just let out my tears. I was finally out of danger.

I still didn't know who my rescuer was. I tilted my head up slightly before melting completely. I knew it would be him.

I was suddenly moving, moving away from the area. I was being pulled into safety. The wind was beginning to make me shiver, so I held him tighter. My face was hidden in his chest when I was swiftly sitting. I peered up to see Rian on his way to us, his face in complete terror.

"Grace! Oh my god are you OK?" he said with alarm in his eyes.

I could hardly say anything, so I just nodded and buried myself deeper in Jack's arms.

**(A/N Remember! There is an epilogue included!)**


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

"Guys, this is Elyse." Alex said. Jack, Zack, Rian, his girlfriend Kara and I looked at the tall blond standing in the doorway of my dorm. Alex had _finally_ gotten a new girlfriend.

"Hi." I said, feeling the awkward tension in the room. We were just hanging out when Alex called and said he wanted us to meet this girl. So I invited them over for lunch.

"Elyse, these are my friends."

"Hi, nice to meet you." she whispered. Was I this quiet when I met the guys? After we individually introduced ourselves, I led everyone to the dining room/kitchen area.

"So, Elyse, where did you and Alex meet?" Jack asked as I got everyone a drink.

Elyse looked at Alex, and then back to Jack. "A coffee shop. He knocked over my cappuccino." she said with slightly higher volume. The entire room was laughing, even Elyse.

"What is everyone doing tonight?" I asked as I sat down next to Jack.

"Me, Kara and Zack are going to the movies." Rian said.

"Elyse and I are going with a couple of her friends to go bowling." Alex said. Everyone turned to him with confusion, probably thinking of some witty thing to say.

"What?" he asked, honestly misunderstood.

"You? Bowling? Hell has frozen over." Kara giggled, beating us to the punch.

We were merely eating when there was a knock on the door. I quickly got up to answer it.

"Grace? Open the door! Grace?" I could hear my roommates calling. There was only two weeks left of summer, so they were all coming home.

I opened the door to see my friends slightly sorrowful. Their bags and suitcases hung off their bodies, just waiting to be put down. I got out of their way as they walked inside. I was still standing in the doorway, admiring our green grass, when the girlish screaming began. My eyes widened in horror. My friends were tremendous All Time Low fans. Uh-oh.

I turned around and strode to the kitchen, walking past the luggage automatically dropped on the floor. My two best friends were standing in complete awe of the guys sitting at their table.

"Oops, I forgot to tell you guys something."

My friends could hardly speak.

"Uh, guys, these are my best friends, Holly and Paige. Holly, Paige, this is Jack, Zack, Rian Alex, Kara and Elyse."

"You have a lot of explaining to do." Holly said, still staring.

I explained my reuniting with Jack, the whole love triangle, and the dangerous aftermath.

"You're dating Jack Barakat!" Paige screamed, of course with Jack sitting right next to me.

"Yes, Paige. I am." I said squeezing his hand tightly.

"Wow." said Holly, "This is crazy."

After everyone left to go about their original plans, and my friends _finally_ left us alone, me and Jack headed back up to my room. I sighed a sigh of relief that my room was spotless. We didn't have anything else to do, so we talked.

"What do you think of Elyse?" I asked Jack. He thought about it before answering.

"She is really quiet, but she seems nice." he said simply. That was also my first impression of her, except that I thought she was really pretty. I imagined he thought so too, but knew I wouldn't enjoy hearing that.

"She'll make him really happy." I sighed. At least I hoped she would.

Jack started realizing this a while ago. Whenever Zack or Alex were brought up, I went into an emotional state.

"Do you regret choosing me?" he asked. I had had this question asked multiple times. The answer I had grown to express with ease.

"Jack Barakat!" I said with fake anger, "Haven't I told you a million times that for one, I didn't choose, you did. And two, no! I am unexceptionably happy and undeserving of that! How do you not get this? I love you Jack, I do." I said, but once the words were out, I wanted to take them back. I hadn't quite told Jack that I loved him yet.

Without saying anything, Jack stood up and walked over to me.

He put his hands on either side of my face and looked me deeply in the eyes. He was searching for what to say.

Our lips touched, embraced and melted as one. It lasted for moments and lingered for the longest time. My heart raced and the most amazing feeling swept over me. Dizzy with excitement, he left me dazed from his touch.

"I love you too, Grace." he whispered.

I felt exhilarated to know that he loved me. And I also felt better _finally_ telling him.

He and I sat on the bed for the longest time. Most of it was silent due to my raging thoughts. After my love was explained, memories splurged of the events of only 3 months ago at the beginning of summer.

My lovely luck that brought me to Lucille park the exact day a gunman decides to show up. Amazing. But I went to that park because it had memories to it. That was the park where I grew up, but mostly, it was the park where I met Jack some 10 years ago. And my 'hiding spot', under the slide, was where we later shared our first kiss.

It took a long while for Alex to finally move on, but it was different for Zack. Zack didn't take it as personally. He had my utmost interest in mind. It was hard being around them for a while, especially Alex. He would give me this look like I destroyed his life, but Zack would seem happy to see me. I felt bad that Alex had gotten a girlfriend, but Zack hadn't yet. But I knew he would make someone happy soon.

I chose that spot knowing Jack would find me there. The biggest reason was that I felt safe with him, I felt closure, and I felt like I was home when he was with me. Jack and I could sit in silence for hours and never be bored, and that is why I loved him.

"Grace?" I heard Jack whisper. My eyes were wet from the tears of my memories, and they were sliding onto his shirt.

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern.

"More then alright. Perfect." I said wrapping myself around him. Jack laughed and held me close. We sat in another moment of silence until I wanted to remind him.

"I'm glad you picked me." I whispered as I smiled up at him.

"I'm glad I did too." he said as he leaned down to kiss me once more until we drifted off to sleep.


End file.
